RU2710771C2 - User interface for aerosol delivery device - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: smoking accessories.SUBSTANCE: invention relates to aerosol delivery devices. Aerosol delivery device comprises at least one housing; a user interface having a button and a display arranged on at least one housing; and control component, located inside at least one housing and connected to user interface, wherein the control component is configured to control the operation of at least one functional element of the aerosol delivery device when detecting the passage of air flow through at least a portion of the at least one housing, wherein the control component is configured to control the display to present a menu containing a plurality of menu items selected using only the button, wherein each item of the plurality of menu items is associated with a corresponding functional element of the aerosol delivery device, and the control component is configured to navigate through the plurality of menu items and select the currently presented item from the plurality of menu items to control the corresponding functional element in response to the corresponding button pressing on the first and second types having different duration.EFFECT: technical result of invention is creation of user interface, providing comprehensive options for controlling functions of aerosol delivery device and, in addition, simplifying interaction of user with aerosol delivery device.20 cl, 16 dwg

Description

FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY

The present invention relates to aerosol delivery devices, such as smoking articles, which can use the heat generated by electricity to produce aerosol (for example, smoking articles, commonly called electronic cigarettes) and, in particular, to a user interface integrated into the delivery device aerosol. Smoking articles may be configured to heat an aerosol precursor, which may contain materials that can be made or obtained from tobacco, or otherwise include tobacco, the precursor being able to form a respirable substance for human consumption.

BACKGROUND

Over the years, many smoking devices have been proposed as improvements to smoking products or alternatives to smoking products that require tobacco burning to use. Many of these devices are specially designed to provide the sensations associated with smoking a cigarette, cigar or pipe, but without supplying a significant amount of products of incomplete combustion and pyrolysis resulting from tobacco burning. To this end, numerous smoking products, aroma generators, and medical inhalers have been proposed that use electricity to vaporize or heat a volatile substance or try to provide the sensation of smoking a cigarette, cigar or pipe without burning tobacco to a large extent. For example, various known alternative smoking articles, aerosol delivery devices, and heat sources are described in US Pat. Nos. 7,726,320 (Robinson et al.) And 8,881,737 (Collett et al.), Which are incorporated herein by reference. In addition, for example, various types of smoking articles, aerosol delivery devices, and electric heat sources referenced by trademark or commercial designation are presented in US Patent Publication No. 2015/0216232 (Bless et al.), Which is incorporated into this application. by reference. In addition, various types of electrical aerosol and vapor delivery devices are disclosed in US Pat. and others), filed May 20, 2014, No. 14/286552 (Brinkley et al.), filed May 23, 2014, No. 14/327776 (Ampolini and others), filed July 10, 2014, and No. 14/465167 (Worm et al.), Filed August 21, 2014, which are incorporated into this application by reference.

Continuous development in the field of aerosol delivery devices leads to the appearance of increasingly advanced aerosol delivery devices. For example, in some aerosol delivery devices, a user interface (e.g., button, display, etc.) is used to allow the user to interact with the aerosol delivery device. However, modern user interfaces provide limited control over the functions of the aerosol delivery device. Thus, there is a need for a user interface that provides comprehensive options for controlling the functions of the aerosol delivery device and, furthermore, simplifies user interaction with the aerosol delivery device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to aerosol delivery devices, methods for manufacturing such devices, and elements of these devices. Thus, the present invention includes, but is not limited to, the following exemplary embodiments.

Exemplary Embodiment 1: An aerosol delivery device comprising at least one casing; a user interface comprising a button and a display located on at least one casing; and a control component located inside at least one casing and connected to a user interface, configured to control the operation of at least one functional element of the aerosol delivery device when detecting the passage of air flow through at least part of at least one casing, and the control component made with the ability to control the display to present a menu containing many menu items selected using only the specified button, when each item from a plurality of menu items is associated with a corresponding functional element of the aerosol delivery device, the control component being configured to navigate the specified set of menu items and select the currently presented item from the plurality of menu items to control the corresponding functional element in response to corresponding clicks button on the first and second types, which have different durations.

An exemplary embodiment of the invention 2: An aerosol delivery device in accordance with the preceding or any subsequent exemplary embodiment, or any combination thereof, in which the duration of pressing the button in the second type is substantially longer than the duration of pressing the button in the first type, and in which the control a component with the ability to select the currently presented menu item includes the execution of a control component with the ability to control the display to present indicators ra a process for displaying continue pressing the button until the end of pressing it for the second type.

An exemplary embodiment of the invention 3: An aerosol delivery device in accordance with any previous or any subsequent exemplary embodiment, or any combination thereof, in which the execution of the control component with the ability to control the display to present a progress indicator includes the execution of the control component with the ability to automatically update the progress indicator as you continue to press the button and the ability to reset to the initial state, the indicator performing the process in at least one case in which the button is released before the termination of pressing of the second type.

Exemplary Embodiment 4: In some exemplary embodiments, an aerosol delivery device in accordance with any preceding or any subsequent exemplary embodiment or any combination thereof, at least in one case, with a corresponding functional element to which the currently presented menu item is associated, is the power source of the aerosol delivery device, and selecting the menu item currently presented will turn off the power of the aerosol delivery device sol.

An exemplary embodiment of the invention 5: An aerosol delivery device in accordance with any previous or any subsequent exemplary embodiment or any combination thereof, further comprising a heating element configured to be controlled by a control component to activate and vaporize the components of the aerosol precursor composition upon detection of an air flow suitable for mixing with the steam thus formed to produce an aerosol, at least about SG case corresponding functional element is associated with the currently presented by the menu is the heating element, and the control component is configured to change the power level of the heating element and the ability to control the display to represent changes in the selection confirmation represented in the currently selected menu item.

An exemplary embodiment of the invention 6: An aerosol delivery device in accordance with any previous or any subsequent exemplary embodiment or any combination thereof, in which at least in one case the corresponding functional element with which the menu item currently presented is associated is the communication interface using Bluetooth technology, and the control component is configured to reset the communication interface using Bluetooth technology to its original state and the ability to control We use to present the confirmation of the reset to the initial state when selecting the currently presented menu item.

An exemplary embodiment of the invention 7: An aerosol delivery device in accordance with any previous or any subsequent exemplary embodiment or any combination thereof, in which at least in one case the corresponding functional element with which the menu item currently presented is associated is a display, and, in addition, the currently presented menu item is associated with the audio component, and in at least one case, the control component is configured to Ia dimming the display and mute the audio component, and the ability to display control for dimming the evidence presented and mute in the selection presented in the currently selected menu item.

An exemplary embodiment of the invention 8: An aerosol delivery device in accordance with any previous or any subsequent exemplary embodiment or any combination thereof, in which at least in one case the corresponding functional element with which the menu item currently presented is associated is a power source and a cartridge containing the composition of the aerosol precursor, and in which the execution of the control component with the ability to navigate many menu items includes ix control component to control a display for indicating the current level of the power supply and the current level of aerosol precursor composition in the cartridge.

An exemplary embodiment of the invention 9: An aerosol delivery device in accordance with any previous or any subsequent exemplary embodiment, or any combination thereof, in which the control component is also configured to turn off the display after a predetermined period of time without pressing the button , neither by the second type.

Exemplary Embodiment 10: An aerosol delivery device in accordance with any previous or any subsequent exemplary embodiment, or any combination thereof, in which a control component is configured to detect a signal event associated with an aerosol delivery device and, in response to a separate triggering event driving the display, with the ability to control the display to present its corresponding warning signal, with a separate trigger an event includes at least one of the following: detecting the passage of an air stream through at least a portion of at least one casing, pressing a button of the first and second types, or connecting an aerosol delivery device to a charging component.

An exemplary embodiment of the invention 11: A method for controlling the operation of an aerosol delivery device containing at least one casing, within which there is a user interface having a button and a display located on at least one casing, and a control component located inside the at least one casing and connected to a user interface, the method comprising controlling in a control component the operation of at least one functional element of an aerosol delivery device, detecting the air flow passage through at least a portion of at least one housing; controlling a display for presenting a menu containing a plurality of menu items selected using only the indicated button, wherein each item from the plurality of menu items is associated with a corresponding functional element of the aerosol delivery device; and navigating through the indicated set of menu items and selecting the currently presented item from the set of menu items to control the corresponding functional element in response to corresponding button presses of the first and second types, which have different durations.

An exemplary embodiment of the invention 12: A method in accordance with the preceding or any subsequent exemplary embodiment, or any combination thereof, in which the duration of pressing a button of the second type is significantly longer than the duration of pressing a button of the first type, and in which the display control for presentation the menu includes a display control to present a progress bar associated with the currently presented menu item and configured to visually display Nia continue pressing the button until the end of pressing it for the second type, the choice presented in the currently selected menu item includes a display control for the submission of a progress bar for the purpose of visual display to continue pressing the button until the end of pressing it for the second type.

An exemplary embodiment of the invention 13: A method in accordance with any previous or any subsequent exemplary embodiment, or any combination thereof, in which controlling the display to represent a progress bar includes automatically updating the progress bar as the button is pressed and the indicator is reset performing the process in at least one case in which the button is released before the cessation of pressing the button of the second type.

An exemplary embodiment of the invention 14: A method in accordance with any previous or any subsequent exemplary embodiment or any combination thereof, in which at least in one case the corresponding functional element with which the menu item currently presented is associated is the power supply of the delivery device aerosol, and the choice of the menu item currently presented leads to a power outage of the aerosol delivery device.

Exemplary Embodiment 15: A method in accordance with any preceding or any subsequent exemplary embodiment, or any combination thereof, in which the aerosol delivery device further comprises a heating element configured to be controlled by a control component, at least in in one case, the corresponding functional element to which the menu item currently presented is associated is a heating element, and the method further includes activation of the heating element by means of a control component for vaporizing the components of the aerosol precursor composition upon detecting an air stream suitable for mixing with the steam thus formed to produce an aerosol; making a change in the power level of the heating element and controlling the display to present confirmation of the change when selecting the currently presented menu item.

An exemplary embodiment of the invention 16: A method in accordance with any previous or any subsequent exemplary embodiment or any combination thereof, in which at least in one case the corresponding functional element with which the menu item currently presented is associated is a technology communication interface Bluetooth, the method further comprising implementing, in the control component, resetting the Bluetooth communication interface and display control to present eniya confirm reset to its original state when you select a view in the currently selected menu item.

Exemplary Embodiment 17: A method in accordance with any preceding or any subsequent exemplary embodiment, or any combination thereof, in which at least in one case the corresponding functional element with which the menu item currently presented is associated is a display, and, in addition, the currently presented menu item is associated with the audio component, and in at least one case, the method further includes dimming in the control component I display and mute the audio component and control the display to provide confirmation of dimming and mute when I select the currently displayed menu item.

Exemplary Embodiment 18: A method in accordance with any preceding or any subsequent exemplary embodiment, or any combination thereof, in which at least in one case the corresponding functional element to which the menu item currently presented is associated is a power supply and a cartridge comprising an aerosol precursor composition, and wherein navigating a plurality of menu items includes display control for presenting a current power level Power supply and current level of aerosol precursor composition in the cartridge.

An exemplary embodiment of the invention 19: A method in accordance with any previous or any subsequent exemplary embodiment or any combination thereof, further comprising turning off the display using the control component after a predetermined period of time without pressing a button of either the first or second type.

An exemplary embodiment of the invention 20: A method in accordance with any preceding or any subsequent exemplary embodiment, or any combination thereof, further comprising detecting in the control component a signal event associated with the aerosol delivery device; and, in response to a separate triggering event driving the display, controlling the display to present a corresponding warning signal, the individual triggering event comprising at least one of the following: detecting the passage of air flow through at least a portion of at least one casing, pressing the button for the first and second types or connecting the aerosol delivery device to the charging component.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after reading the following detailed description together with the accompanying drawings, which are briefly described below. The present invention includes any combination of two, three, four or more features or elements formulated herein, whether such features or elements are explicitly combined or otherwise set forth in the specific exemplary embodiment described herein. The present description is made to be read taking into account all the elements in such a way that any separable features or elements of the described invention in any of its various aspects and exemplary embodiments should be considered as intended specifically for combination, unless the context of the invention clearly indicates otherwise.

Thus, it should be noted that this disclosure is presented only for the purpose of summarizing some exemplary embodiments of the invention in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that the above exemplary embodiments of the invention are only examples and should not be construed as limiting in any way the scope or essence of the invention. Other exemplary embodiments of the invention, aspects and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of some of the described exemplary embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

After thus describing the present invention using the above general terms, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily scaled, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of an aerosol delivery device comprising a housing in which a cartridge is disposed in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the aerosol delivery device of FIG. 1, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a cartridge suitable for use with the aerosol delivery device of FIG. 1, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the aerosol delivery device of FIG. 1, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is an opposite perspective view of the aerosol delivery device of FIG. 1, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 shows a control component in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7-15 depict various user interface functions of an aerosol delivery device in accordance with some exemplary embodiments of the present invention; and

FIG. 16 depicts various operations of a method for providing an aerosol delivery device in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following is a more detailed description of the present invention with reference to exemplary options for its implementation. These exemplary embodiments are described in such a way that the present invention is presented comprehensively and in its entirety with a full disclosure of its scope for those skilled in the art. It should be noted that the present invention can be implemented in various forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments described in this application; more specifically, these embodiments are presented in such a way that the present invention meets the relevant legal requirements. Used in the description and in the attached claims, the singular forms include the plural, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

As described below, exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to aerosol delivery systems. The aerosol delivery systems of the present invention use electricity to heat the material (preferably without burning material to any significant degree) to form an inhalable substance; and the components of such systems are in the form of articles that are most preferably compact enough to be considered portable devices. In other words, the use of the components of the preferred aerosol delivery systems does not produce smoke in the sense that the aerosol does not form from by-products of combustion or pyrolysis of tobacco, but rather the use of these preferred systems leads to the generation of vapors generated by evaporation or vaporization of some contained in them components. In some exemplary embodiments, the components of the aerosol delivery systems can be characterized as electronic cigarettes, which in the most preferred embodiments of the invention contain tobacco and / or components derived from tobacco, and therefore, components derived from tobacco are supplied in the form of an aerosol.

Aerosol products of certain preferred aerosol delivery systems can provide many of the sensations (e.g., inhalation and exhalation rituals, tastes or aromas, organoleptic effects, physical sensation, usage rituals, visual signs such as those created by visible aerosol, etc.) cigarettes, cigars or pipes that are used to ignite and burn tobacco (and therefore inhale tobacco smoke), without actually burning to any significant degree any component of these products or systems. For example, a user of an aerosol-producing product in accordance with the present invention can hold and use the product in the same way as a smoker uses a traditional type of smoking product, inhale from one end of said smoking product to inhale the aerosol generated by this product, make puffs at selected time intervals and etc.

Aerosol delivery systems in accordance with the present invention can also be characterized as vapor-forming products or drug delivery products. Thus, such articles or devices may be adapted to deliver one or more substances (for example, flavorings and / or pharmaceutical active ingredients) in an inhaled form or condition. For example, inhaled substances can essentially be in the form of vapor (i.e., a substance in the gaseous phase at a temperature that is lower than its critical point). In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the inhaled substance may be in the form of an aerosol (i.e., a suspension of finely divided solid particles or liquid droplets in a gas). For the sake of simplicity, the term "aerosol" as used in this application refers to vapors, gases and aerosols of the form or type that are suitable for inhalation by humans, whether they are visible or in a form that can be considered like smoke.

Proposed aerosol delivery systems typically comprise a number of components formed within an outer casing or shell, which or which may be referred to as a casing. The overall design of the outer casing or shell may vary, and the shape or configuration of the outer casing, which may specify the overall size and shape of the aerosol delivery device, may also vary. Aerosol delivery devices are often made in a form that mimics the aspects of some traditional smoking devices, such as cigarettes or cigars. In this regard, aerosol delivery devices typically form a substantially cylindrical configuration. As a rule, an elongated case resembling a cigarette or cigar in shape can be made of a single integral casing, or an elongated casing can be made of two or more separable bodies. For example, an aerosol delivery device may comprise an elongated shell or casing, which may be substantially tubular in shape and accordingly resemble the shape of a regular cigarette or cigar. Aerosol delivery devices often include a control housing and a cartridge that are connected end-to-end to form a substantially cylindrical configuration.

Although such configurations may provide an appearance and feel similar to those of traditional smoking articles, these configurations may have some disadvantages. For example, aerosol delivery devices having a cylindrical configuration may not provide attachment points suitable for holding the aerosol delivery device in position when not in use. In addition, the cylindrical configuration may cause the mouthpiece to remain open to the environment and thus may be subject to contamination. Accordingly, it may be desirable to provide an aerosol delivery device in configurations that differ from the forms inherent in traditional smoking articles.

In one example, all components of an aerosol delivery device are located within one enclosure. In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the aerosol delivery device may comprise two or more housings that are connected to each other and are detachable. For example, at one end of the aerosol delivery device, there may be a control housing that contains a housing containing one or more reusable components (for example, a rechargeable battery and various electronics to control the operation of this product), and at the other end of the device may be located behind an outer casing or shell integrally with it or detachably connected, comprising a replaceable part (for example, a replaceable cartridge containing flavor additives s).

The proposed aerosol delivery systems most preferably comprise some combination of an energy source (i.e., an electric source) of at least one control component (e.g., means for driving, controlling, regulating and shutting off the power supply to generate heat, for example, due to control electric current passing from the power source to other components of the product - for example, the microprocessor, separately or as part of a component of the microcontroller), a heating element, or a heat generating element (for example, an electric resistive heating element or other component, which itself or in combination with one or more additional elements can usually be called an “atomizer”), an aerosol precursor composition (for example, usually a liquid capable of generating an aerosol when exposed to a sufficient amount heat, such as ingredients commonly called “smoking juice”, “electronic cigarette liquid” and “electronic cigarette juice”), and the area or end of the mouthpiece so as to allow the inhalation from the aerosol delivery device to inhale the aerosol (for example, to provide a predetermined path for the air flow through the article so that the aerosol generated can be removed through it when tightened).

In various examples, an aerosol delivery device may include a reservoir configured to contain an aerosol precursor composition. The reservoir, in particular, may be made of a porous material (eg, a fibrous material), and thus may be called a porous substrate (eg, a fibrous substrate). The fibrous substrate used as a reservoir in an aerosol delivery device may be a woven or non-woven material made from a plurality of fibers or threads, and may be made from natural fibers and / or synthetic fibers. For example, the fibrous substrate may contain fiberglass material. In specific examples, cellulose acetate material may be used. In other exemplary embodiments of the invention, carbon material may be used. The reservoir may be substantially in the form of a container and may comprise fibrous material incorporated therein.

In some embodiments, the aerosol delivery device may comprise an indicator that may have one or more light emitting diodes or a graphical user interface via a display. The indicator can be connected with the ability to transmit data to the control component via a connecting circuit and can be lit, for example, while the user is drawing in air from the mouth end, which can be detected by the flow sensor.

More specific formats, configurations, and component layouts in the aerosol delivery systems of the present invention will be apparent in light of the further disclosure of the invention presented below. In addition, the selection and layout of the various components of the aerosol delivery system can be understood by considering commercially available electronic aerosol delivery devices, such as representative products referenced in the prior art section of the present description of the invention.

In FIG. 1 is a front view of an aerosol delivery device 100, and FIG. 2 is a modified sectional view of an aerosol delivery device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the aerosol delivery device 100 may include a housing 102 and a cartridge 200. The cartridge may be configured to move relative to at least a portion of the housing or the entire housing. In particular, the cartridge may be configured to move relative to at least a portion of the casing between the extended configuration shown in FIG. 1 and the retracted configuration shown in FIG. 2. Details of the mechanisms and methods associated with the movement of the cartridge relative to the casing are described later in this application.

In some exemplary embodiments of the invention, the casing 102 and / or cartridge 200 of the aerosol delivery device 100 may be disposable or reusable. The aerosol delivery device may include various other components located within the housing 102 or cartridge 200 or otherwise connected to them. These components can be distributed between the housing and the cartridge in any order. For example, the case may comprise a removable battery or a rechargeable battery, and thus may be combined with any type of charger, including a connection to a typical AC power outlet, a connection to a car charger (i.e., a cigarette lighter receptacle), and a connection to computer, for example, via a cable or a universal serial bus connector (USB, universal serial bus). In addition, in some exemplary embodiments, the cartridge may include a disposable cartridge, as described in US patent No. 8910639 (Chang and others), which is fully incorporated into this application by reference. Accordingly, it should be noted that the described embodiments are provided by way of example only.

In one exemplary embodiment of the invention, the casing 102 and the cartridge 200 forming the aerosol delivery device 100 may be inseparably connected to each other. Examples of aerosol delivery devices that may be disposable and / or which may include first and second outer bodies configured to be inseparable are disclosed in US Patent Application No. 14/170838 (Bless et al.), Filed February 3, 2014. , which is fully incorporated into the present application by reference. In another exemplary embodiment of the invention, the cartridge and the control housing may be made as a single integral part and may include the components, aspects and features described in this application. However, in another exemplary embodiment, the control housing and cartridge may be detachable so that the cartridge may be refilled or replaced.

As an example, in FIG. 2, the aerosol delivery device 100 comprises a power source 104 (eg, a battery) located in the case 102. In addition, the connector 106 can be movably attached to the case. The cartridge 200 can interact with the connector so that it can be moved relative to at least part of the casing. In some embodiments, the cartridge may be removably coupled to the connector and may be replaceable.

The aerosol delivery device 100 may further comprise a control component 108 located therein. The control component may be configured to direct power from the power source 104 to the cartridge 200 to heat the aerosol precursor composition contained in the tank 214 with an atomizer 212 to produce steam that may occur during tightening by the user through the mouthpiece 220 of the cartridge. The control component contains a number of electronic components and, in some examples, may be made of a printed circuit board that supports and electrically connects the electronic components. Examples of suitable electronic components include a microprocessor or processor core, integrated circuit (IC), memory, and the like. In some examples, the control component may include a microcontroller with an integrated processor core and memory, and may further include one or more integrated peripheral input / output devices.

As noted above, the cartridge 200 may be movable relative to the housing 102. In this regard, the aerosol delivery device 100 may further comprise an actuator 110. In particular, the actuator may be coupled to the connector 106. Thus, the actuator may be operatively entered into interaction with the cartridge and configured to move the cartridge between the extended configuration and the retracted configuration.

As shown in FIG. 1, the mouthpiece 220 may be open when the cartridge 200 is in an extended configuration. In other words, the mouthpiece may be located outside of the casing 102 when the cartridge is in an extended configuration, so that the mouthpiece can be contacted with the lips of the user. Thus, the extended cartridge configuration is a configuration in which the aerosol delivery device 100 allows tightening through the mouthpiece 220 such that the aerosol delivery device can generate and deliver the aerosol to the user as described above.

Conversely, as shown in FIG. 2, in the retracted configuration, the mouthpiece 220 is relatively closer to the casing 102 than in the extended configuration shown in FIG. 1. In the retracted configuration, the mouthpiece may be flush with the housing. In other words, the outer surface of the mouthpiece can be substantially aligned with the outer surface of the casing. In another embodiment, the mouthpiece may be recessed relative to the casing. In other words, a gap can be provided between the outer surface of the mouthpiece and the outer surface of the casing.

In FIG. 3 shows a more detailed example of the cartridge 200 shown in FIG. 1 and 2. As shown in the drawing, the cartridge may include a base transport plug 202, a base 204, a control component terminal 206, an electronic control component 208, an air flow tube 210, an atomizer 212, a reservoir 214, an outer casing 216, a label 218, a mouthpiece 220 and a transport plug 222 of a mouthpiece in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

The base 204 can be connected to the first end of the outer casing 216, and the mouthpiece 220 can be connected to the opposite second end of the outer casing for at least partially closing the remaining components of the cartridge 200, except for the label 218, the transport plug 222 of the mouthpiece and the transport plug 202 grounds. The base may be configured to interact with a suitable device comprising a power source 104. In some embodiments, the implementation of the base may contain elements to prevent rotation, which essentially prevent relative rotation between the cartridge and the corresponding device containing the power source. The base transport plug may be configured to interact and protect the base before using the cartridge. Similarly, the transport plug of the mouthpiece can be configured to interact and protect the mouthpiece before using the cartridge.

A control component terminal 206, an electronic control component 208, an air flow tube 210, an atomizer 212, and a reservoir 214 may be located inside the outer case 216. The label 218 may at least partially surround the outer case and contain information printed thereon, such as a product identifier . The atomizer 212 may include a first heating terminal 234a and a second heating terminal 234b, a liquid conveying element 238, and a heating element 240.

In some examples, a valve may be arranged between the reservoir and the heating element to adjust the amount of the aerosol precursor composition supplied or delivered from the reservoir to the heating element.

The reservoir 214 may be a container or a fibrous reservoir, as described herein. For example, the reservoir may comprise one or more layers of nonwoven fibers substantially molded into a tube spanning the interior of the cartridge 200. The aerosol precursor composition may be contained in the reservoir. For example, the reservoir may contain liquid components due to sorption action. The reservoir may be fluidly coupled to a liquid transporting element 238 adapted to transport an aerosol precursor composition stored in the reservoir body to the heating element 240. In particular, the liquid transporting element may transport the aerosol precursor composition stored in the reservoir by capillary action to a heating element made in the form of a metal wire coil in this example. As such, the heating element is in thermal communication with the liquid conveying element. Exemplary embodiments of reservoirs and fluid transport elements used in aerosol delivery devices in accordance with the present invention are described in more detail below, and such reservoirs and / or fluid transport elements can be included in devices similar to that shown in FIG. 3, as described in this application. In particular, specific combinations of heating elements and conveying elements, described in more detail below, may be included in devices similar to those shown in FIG. 3, as described in this application.

Various examples of materials configured to generate heat when an electric current is passed through them may be used to form the heating element 240. The heating element in these examples may be a resistive heating element, such as a wire coil. Exemplary materials from which a wire coil can be made include cantalum (FeCrAl), nichrome, molybdenum disilicide (MoSi ₂ ), molybdenum silicide (MoSi), molybdenum disilicide doped with aluminum (Mo (Si, Al) ₂ ), graphite and graphite-based materials (e.g., carbon foams and filaments), as well as ceramics (e.g., ceramics with a positive or negative temperature coefficient). Exemplary embodiments of heaters or heating elements used in aerosol delivery devices in accordance with the present invention are described in more detail below and may be included in devices similar to that shown in FIG. 3, as described in this application.

The cartridge 200 may comprise a flow guiding device forming a non-tubular structure, a compartment for electronic components sealed with respect to the compartment of the reservoir, and / or any of various other design features and components described herein. Accordingly, it should be noted that the specific embodiment of the cartridge described in this application is provided by way of example only. In this regard, the cartridge is shown schematically in FIG. 2 as containing only the outer casing 216, the mouthpiece 220, the atomizer 212, the reservoir 214, and the base 204 in light of various alternative and additional components that may be contained therein.

One or more components of the cartridge 200 may be configured to form an electrical connection with the connector 106. For example, as shown in FIG. 3 of the cartridge, the first heating lead 234a and the second heating lead 234b (e.g., positive and negative leads) as opposed ends of the heating element 240 are configured to form an electrical connection to the connector. In addition, the electronic control component 208 (see FIG. 3) can form an electrical connection to the connector through the output 206 of the control component (see FIG. 3). Thus, the components inside the case 102 (for example, the control component 108) can use the electronic control component to determine the authenticity of the cartridge and / or to perform other functions. However, in other embodiments, the connection between the connector and the cartridge may not be electrical. In other words, the connection between the connector and the cartridge can be purely mechanical. In these embodiments, atomization can be carried out outside the cartridge, or atomization can be carried out in other ways that do not require electrical connections between the cartridge and the casing, for example, piezoelectric or radio frequency atomization. In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the power source may be located in the cartridge so that an electrical connection to the connector is not required.

In use, when the user draws air from the aerosol delivery device 100, the heating element 240 of the atomizer 212 is activated to vaporize the components of the aerosol precursor composition. Tightening through the mouthpiece 220 of the aerosol delivery device causes ambient air to enter the hole made in the connector 106 or the cartridge 200 and to allow air to pass through it. In the cartridge, the drawn-in air is connected to the generated vapor to form an aerosol. The aerosol is inhaled or otherwise removed from the heating element through an opening made in the mouthpiece of the aerosol delivery device. However, in other embodiments, an air stream may be received through other parts of the aerosol delivery device. As indicated above, in accordance with some embodiments, the cartridge may comprise an airflow tube. The tube for air flow can be made with the possibility of directing the air flow to the heating element.

In particular, the sensor in the aerosol delivery device 100 can detect an air stream passing through the aerosol delivery device. Upon detection of an air flow, the control component 108 may direct current to the heating element 240 through a circuit comprising a first heating lead 234a and a second heating lead 234b. Accordingly, the heating element may vaporize the aerosol precursor composition directed to the aerosol formation zone from the reservoir 214 by the liquid conveying element 238. Thus, the mouthpiece 220 may allow aerosol (i.e., components of the aerosol precursor composition in respirable form) to pass through it to a consumer tightening through the mouthpiece.

In FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an aerosol delivery device 100 in a closed configuration, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an aerosol delivery device in an extended configuration having a particular design in accordance with some exemplary embodiments of the invention. As shown in the drawing, the casing 102 may form an ergonomic shape, providing a convenient location in the user's hand. However, the shape of the casing is not limited, and it can be of any shape that allows the placement of various elements, as described in this application. In some embodiments, the casing may be clearly non-cylindrical.

As further shown in FIG. 5, the aerosol delivery device 100 may further comprise an attachment mechanism 112. The attachment mechanism 112 may include a loop, clamp, ring, or other mechanism configured to attach to another device, such as a keychain, carabiner, or lanyard. Accordingly, the aerosol delivery device can be held in position. Thus, for example, the user can easily fix the aerosol delivery device in the desired position, in which the aerosol delivery device may be less prone to damage or improper location.

The aerosol delivery device 100 may further comprise an input device 114. The input device may include a button or other switch configured to receive an input signal from a user. When the input device is powered, the aerosol delivery device can generate an output signal corresponding to the state of the aerosol delivery device. For example, an aerosol delivery device may generate sound, vibration, or light. As shown in FIG. 4, the aerosol delivery device may further comprise an indicator 116. The indicator may include a light transmitter (for example, plastic or glass, which may be colored in a desired color). In addition, the indicator may comprise a light emitter, which may comprise an incandescent lamp or a light emitting diode (LED). Thus, the light emitter can illuminate a light transmitter that can direct light through itself outward to indicate the status of the aerosol delivery device.

The indicator 116 may blink or glow in some other way to indicate the remaining or used portion of the capacity of the power source 104 or reservoir 214. For example, the relatively large number of indicator flashes after the input device 114 is activated may correspond to the relatively large remaining capacity of the power source or reservoir. Conversely, a relatively small number of indicator flashes after actuating an input device may correspond to the relatively small remaining capacity of the power source or reservoir. However, the indicator and / or other output devices can be used to display various other information and / or output information in various other ways. Examples of other information that can be displayed are error messages, operating modes, usage statistics, and the like.

In some embodiments, the aerosol delivery device 100 may include a display 118, as shown in FIG. 4 and 5. A display may be provided in addition to or alternatively to indicator 116. The display may be configured to output various information, including information regarding the status of the aerosol delivery device, information not related to the status of the aerosol delivery device (e.g., current time), and / or non-informative graphics (e.g., graphics presented for the purpose of entertaining the user ) Thus, the display can be configured to output any or all of the information described above (for example, about the remaining or used capacity of the power source 104 or reservoir 214) in any form, such as a graphical form and / or a numeric form. In addition, in some embodiments, an input device 114 or a separate input device may control the operation or display. The display, for example, can be a touch screen and, thus, can be made with the possibility of user input. In some embodiments, the display can display icons, menus, and the like, which provide the user with the ability to select controls related to the operation of the aerosol delivery device, the ability to check the specific state of the device, and the like. Although the display is shown to cover only a relatively small portion of the aerosol delivery device, it is understood that the display can cover a significantly larger portion of the aerosol delivery device.

Various components of the proposed aerosol delivery device may be selected from the described known and commercially available components. Examples of batteries that can be used in accordance with the present invention are described in US Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0028766 (Peckerar et al.), The entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

The aerosol delivery device 100 may include a flow sensor or another sensor or detector for controlling the power supply to the heating element 240 when aerosol generation is required (for example, when tightened during use). In this regard, for example, a procedure or method is proposed for turning off the power supply to the heating element when the user does not draw in air through the aerosol delivery device during use, and turning on the power supply to actuate or start generating heat by the heating element during tightening. Additional characteristic types of recognition or detection mechanisms, their design and configuration, components, and general operating methods are described in US Pat. Flick), which are fully incorporated into this application by reference.

The aerosol delivery device 100 most preferably comprises a control component 108 or other control mechanism for controlling the amount of electric power supplied to the heating element 240 during tightening. Typical types of electronic components, their design and configuration, characteristics and general methods of operation are described in US patent No. 4735217 (Gerth and others), No. 4947874 (Brooks and others), No. 5372148 (McCafferty and others), No. 6040560 (Fleischhauer and others), No. 7040314 (Nguyen et al.), No. 8205622 (Pan), publications of US patent applications No. 2009/0230117 (Fernando and others), No. 2014/0060554 (Collet and others), No. 2014/0270727 (Ampolini et al.), And U.S. Patent Application 14/209 191 (Henry et al.), Filed March 13, 2014, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

Typical substrates, reservoirs, or other components for maintaining an aerosol precursor are described in US Pat. 2013, and US patent application No. 14/170838 (Bless et al.), Filed February 3, 2014, which are fully incorporated into this application by reference. In addition, various capillary materials, as well as the configuration and operation of these capillary materials in certain types of electronic cigarettes, are described in US Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0209105 (Sears et al.), Which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

The aerosol precursor composition, also called the vapor precursor composition, may contain various components, including, for example, polyhydric alcohol (e.g. glycerol, propylene glycol or a mixture thereof), nicotine, tobacco, tobacco extract and / or flavors. In addition, typical components and formulations of the aerosol precursor are presented and characterized in US Pat. 2014/0060554 (Collett and others), No. 2015/0020823 (Lipowicz and others), No. 2015/0020830 (Koller), as well as in the international patent WO 2014/182736 (Bowen and others), the contents of which are included in this application by reference. Other aerosol precursors that can be used in the aerosol delivery device include aerosol precursors included in the R. J. Reynolds Vapor Company VUSE® product, Lorillard Technologies BLU ™ product, Mistic Ecigs MISTIC MENTHOL product, and CN Creative Ltd. VYPE product. In addition, so-called "smoking juices" for electronic cigarettes manufactured by Johnson Creek Enterprises LLC are desirable.

In the aerosol delivery device 100, additional typical components generating visual signs or indicators, such as light emitting diodes and corresponding components, acoustic elements (e.g., speakers), vibration elements (e.g., vibration motors), etc. can be used. Examples of suitable components of light emitting diodes, their designs and applications are described in US patent No. 5154192 (Sprinkel and others), No. 8499766 (Newton), No. 8539959 (Scatterday) and US patent application No. 14/173266 (Sears and others), filed February 5, 2014, which are fully incorporated into this application by reference.

Other additional characteristics, controls or components that can be included in the proposed device for the delivery of aerosol are described in US patent No. 5967148 (Harris and others), No. 5934289 (Watkins and others), No. 5954979 (Counts and others), No. 6040560 (Fleischhauer et al.), No. 8365742 (Hon), No. 8402976 (Fernando and others), US Patent Publications No. 2005/0016550 (Katase), No. 2010/0163063 (Fernando and others), No. 2013 / 0192623 (Tucker et al.), No. 2013/0298905 (Leven and others), No. 2013/0180553 (Kim and others), No. 2014/0000638 (Sebastian and others), No. 2014/0261495 (Novak and others ), No. 2014/0261408 (DePiano and others) and patent application No. 14/286552 (Brinkley and others), which are fully incorporated into this application through om links.

In FIG. 6 shows a more specific configuration of electronic components 600 that can be used in a suitable aerosol delivery device, such as an aerosol delivery device 100, in accordance with some exemplary embodiments. The aerosol delivery device may be configured to execute machine code to perform the operations described in this application. As shown in the drawing, the aerosol delivery device may include a processor 602 (for example, a control component 108), which may be a microprocessor to control the overall operation of the device. In one embodiment, the processor 602, in particular, may be configured to execute program code instructions related to functions described herein, including assembly operations of aerosol delivery devices or parts thereof in accordance with the present invention. In addition, the aerosol delivery device may comprise a storage device 604. The storage device 604 may comprise a non-transitory material storage device, which, for example, can be volatile and / or non-volatile memory. A storage device 604 may be configured to store information, data, files, applications, commands, and the like. For example, the storage device 604 may be configured to buffer input data for processing by the processor 602. In an additional or alternative embodiment, the storage device 604 may be configured to store instructions for execution by the processor 602.

In addition, the aerosol delivery device 600 may include a user interface 606 that allows the user to interact with him. For example, user interface 606 may include a user input interface (e.g., input device 114), which may take various forms, such as a button, keyboard, control knob, touch screen, audio input interface, visual input / capture input interface images, input as sensor data, etc. In addition, user interface 606 may include a user output interface, such as a display (eg, display 118), a speaker, or other output device configured to output information to the user.

In addition, the aerosol delivery device 600 may include a communication interface 608 configured to provide wireless communications. In some examples, the communication interface may be included in a printed circuit board of a control component or a separate printed circuit board, which may be connected to a printed circuit board or one or more elements of a control component. The communication interface may provide wireless communication of the aerosol delivery device with one or more networks, computing devices, or other appropriately involved devices. Examples of suitable computing devices include any number of mobile computers. More specific examples of suitable mobile computers include laptop computers (eg, laptops, laptops, tablet computers), mobile phones (eg cell phones, smartphones), miniature computers (eg, smart watches), and the like. In other examples, the computing device may not be implemented as a mobile computer, but, for example, as a desktop computer, server computer, etc. In other examples, the computing device may be implemented as a beacon, such as a beacon using iBeacon ™ technology developed by Apple Inc. Examples of how an aerosol delivery device can be configured to provide wireless communications are disclosed in US Patent Applications No. 14/327776 (Ampolini et al.), Filed July 10, 2014, and No. 14/609032 (Henry, Jr. and others), filed January 29, 2016), each of which is fully incorporated into this application by reference.

The communication interface 608 may include, for example, an antenna (or multiple antennas) and supporting hardware and / or software for enabling wireless communication with a communication network (e.g., cellular network, Wi-Fi, WLAN, etc.) and / or to support short-range communication between devices in accordance with one or more necessary communication technologies. Examples of suitable short-range communication technologies that can be supported by a communication interface include various short-range wireless communication (NFC) technologies, personal wireless area network (WPAN) technologies, and the like. More specific examples of suitable WPAN technologies include those defined by IEEE 802.15 or otherwise, including Bluetooth, Low Energy Bluetooth (Bluetooth LE), ZigBee, infrared (e.g. IrDA), Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), USB wireless, etc. P. Other examples of suitable short range communication technologies include Wi-Fi Direct, as well as some other technologies based or specified by IEEE 802.11 and / or IEEE 802.15.4 that support direct communication between devices.

According to exemplary embodiments of the present invention, an input device 114, such as a button, and a display 118 may provide a user interface for the aerosol delivery device 100. The control component 108 may be located in the casing 102, connected to the user interface and configured to control the operation of at least one functional element of the aerosol delivery device 100. In FIG. 7-15 illustrate various functions of such a user interface in accordance with some exemplary embodiments of the invention.

As shown in FIG. 7, in some example embodiments, the control component 108 may be configured to control the display 118 to present a menu containing a plurality of menu items 700. In some exemplary embodiments, due to the limited surface area provided by the typically small overall dimensions of the aerosol delivery device 100, items from a plurality of menu items can be selected using only one button (e.g., input device 114) of the aerosol delivery device 100, which in some example embodiments may contain only one button. The control component can be configured to navigate the specified set of menu items and select the currently presented item from the set of menu items to control the corresponding functional element in response to the corresponding button presses of the first and second types, which have different durations.

In some exemplary embodiments of the invention, the duration of pressing a button of the second type is significantly longer than the duration of pressing a button of the first type. In such embodiments, in addition to selecting the currently displayed menu item, the control component 108 may be configured to control the display 118 to present a process indicator 702 associated with the currently presented menu item. The progress bar can visually display the continuation of pressing the button until it stops pressing the second type. In some embodiments, the control component may be configured to automatically update the progress bar as the button is continued and reset to the initial state of the process progress bar in at least one case in which the button is released before the second type of stop is pressed.

In some exemplary embodiments, as shown in FIG. 7 and 8, the display 118 may enter standby mode 800 after a predetermined period of time without pressing a button of either the first or second type, which in this application may be called "duration of inactivity." In such an embodiment, the control component 108 may be configured to turn off the display after a period of inactivity (for example, lasting three (3) seconds, during which no button is pressed on either the first or second type). It should be noted that although a period of inactivity of three (3) seconds is described in many exemplary embodiments, this period may be more or less than three (3) seconds.

Each item from a plurality of menu items may be associated with a corresponding functional element of the aerosol delivery device. The menu items may include, for example, a status menu 900, a heating element power setting menu 1000, a hidden mode menu 1100, a Bluetooth menu 1200 and / or a power menu 1300.

In some exemplary embodiments, in at least one instance, the corresponding functional element to which the menu item currently presented is associated is a power supply 104 and a cartridge 200 containing an aerosol precursor composition. In such embodiments and example (s), the control component 108 may be configured to control the display 118 to present the status menu 900, as shown in FIG. 7 and 9. The status menu may display the current power level of the power source and the current composition level of the aerosol precursor in the cartridge (for example, the remaining or used part of the capacity of the power source or tank 214).

The status menu 900 may represent graphical icons that display the current status of the aerosol delivery device 100. Graphic icons may include, for example, a tank capacity icon 902, an energy intensity icon 904, a charging icon 906, and a Bluetooth indicator 908. The tank capacity icon may display the percentage of the aerosol precursor composition remaining in the tank 214, the energy intensity icon may display the remaining portion of the power source 104, the charging icon may similarly display the remaining portion of the power source, and further indicate the connection of the aerosol delivery device to the charger, and the Bluetooth indicator may indicate that the aerosol delivery device is currently connected to a compatible Bluetooth device. In some exemplary embodiments of the invention, the graphic icon immediately changes from the energy intensity icon to the charging icon and vice versa when the charger is connected to the aerosol delivery device or when the charger is disconnected from the aerosol delivery device.

In some exemplary embodiments, a status menu 900 may initially be presented if the display 118 was previously turned off or in standby mode 800, or the aerosol delivery device 100 changes the state of charge (for example, when connected to the charger or disconnected from the charger). In one embodiment of the invention, for example, a short or long press on a button (for example, a second or three second press) can move the display from off to a status screen view. In addition, a three-second period of inactivity after the status screen is presented may cause the display to reenter the standby mode. In some embodiments, a single press of a button of the first type may cause the display to transition from the status screen to the next menu item or to display an alert. Similarly, the detection of air flow passing through an aerosol delivery device may darken the display 910 representing the status screen or present a warning signal.

In some exemplary embodiments, at least in one case, the corresponding functional element to which the menu item currently presented is associated is a heating element 240. In such embodiments and example (s), the control component 108 may be configured to control the display 118 to present the heating element power setting menu 1000, as shown in FIG. 7 and 10. By selecting the menu item for setting the power supply of the heating element, the control component can change the power level of the heating element and control the display to present confirmation of the change.

In some exemplary embodiments, the power level of the heating element 240 may be changed from the current power setting 1002 to a second setting 1004 or a third setting 1006 in response to pressing a button of the second type. For example, the power level can be changed from a low, normal or high power level of the heating element. The menu items for setting the power supply of the heating element can continuously move from one to another as the duration increases, and the progress indicator can be updated sequentially. After stopping pressing the button, the control component 108 can change the power level of the heating element in accordance with the currently presented menu item.

In some exemplary embodiments of the invention, the control component 108 may control the display 118 to present a plurality of menu items when a user controls the aerosol delivery device 100 using an external device (e.g., Bluetooth wireless technology). In at least one case, the control component can thus change the power level of the heating element by means of an external device according to the corresponding menu item currently presented. For example, the user can visualize the menu item currently being presented (for example, power settings) through the mobile application and navigate the menu items on the external device that correspond to the many menu items, so that the control component can simultaneously update the menu item currently presented for reflection of the corresponding menu item that is displayed on the display of the external device after the user switches to the corresponding menu item on the external device.

In one embodiment of the invention, for example, a three-second period of inactivity after presenting the power setting menu 1000 of the heating element may cause the display 118 to re-enter standby mode 800. In some embodiments, a single press of a button of the first type may cause the display to switch from the power setting menu of the heating element to the next menu item or to present a warning signal. Similarly, the detection of air flow passing through the aerosol delivery device 100 may result in obscuring 1008 of the display representing the status screen or in the presentation of an alert.

In some exemplary embodiments, in at least one instance, the corresponding functional element to which the currently presented menu item is associated is the display 118, and the currently presented menu item is further associated with the audio component. In such embodiments and example (s), the control component 108 may be configured to control the display to present the hidden mode menu 1100, as shown in FIG. 7 and 11. When you select the hidden mode menu item, the control component can darken the display and mute the audio component. As the button continues to be pressed, the progress bar 1102 can automatically update, and after the button is pressed, the control component can further control the display to present dimming or dimming confirmation 1104.

In one embodiment of the invention, for example, a three-second period of inactivity after presentation of the hidden mode menu 1100 may cause the display 118 to enter standby mode 800. In some embodiments, a single press of a button of the first type may cause the display to transition from the stealth menu to the next menu item or to display an alert. Similarly, inactivity of one second after confirmation of dimming and dimming 1104 can cause the display to enter standby mode or to generate an alert.

In some exemplary embodiments, in at least one instance, the corresponding functional element to which the currently presented menu item is associated is a Bluetooth communication interface (e.g., communication interface 608). It should be noted, however, that although the Bluetooth technology communication interface may be described in these exemplary embodiments, the menu item currently presented may be associated with other communication interfaces not expressly presented in this application. In such embodiments and example (s), the control component 108 may be configured to control the display 118 to present the Bluetooth menu 1200, as shown in FIG. 7 and 12. When you select the Bluetooth menu item, the control component can reset the Bluetooth communication interface to its original state. As the button continues to be pressed, the progress bar 1202 can automatically be updated, and after the button is pressed, the control component can further control the display to present a reset confirmation 1204.

In one embodiment of the invention, for example, a three-second period of inactivity after presentation of the Bluetooth menu 1200 may cause the display 118 to enter standby mode 800. In some embodiments, a single press of a button of the first type may cause the display to transition from the currently displayed menu item to the next menu item or to display an alert. Similarly, a one-second period of inactivity after confirmation of a reset 1204 may cause the display to enter standby mode or to generate an alert.

In some exemplary embodiments, in at least one instance, the corresponding functional element to which the menu item currently presented is associated is the power supply 104 of the aerosol delivery device. In such embodiments and example (s), the control component 108 may be configured to control the display 118 to present the power menu 1300, as shown in FIG. 7 and 13. When the power menu item is selected, the control component can turn off the power of the aerosol delivery device. As you continue to press the button, the process indicator 1302 can automatically be updated, and after the button is pressed, the control component can further control the shutdown of the aerosol delivery device and, accordingly, the display 1304.

In one embodiment of the invention, for example, a three-second period of inactivity after presenting the power menu 1300 may cause the display 118 to enter standby mode 800. In some embodiments, a single press of a button of the first type may cause the display to transition from the Bluetooth menu to the next menu item or to display an alert. Similarly, a three-second period of pressing according to the second type when the aerosol delivery device is in the off state can lead to power-up of the device.

In some exemplary embodiments of the invention, the control component 108 may be configured to detect a signal event associated with the aerosol delivery device 100, and, in response to a separate triggering event that drives the display, can control the display 118 to present a corresponding warning signal 1400.  A separate triggering event driving the display may include, for example, at least one of the following: detecting the passage of air flow through at least a portion of at least one casing 1402, pressing a button on the first and second types, or duration 1404 of inactivity and connecting the aerosol delivery device to the charging component 1406, 1408, respectively.  After the alert is presented, the display may enter standby mode 800 or display the previously presented menu item.  Alerts may include, for example, a cartridge error, a warning about a low power supply, a warning about a charged power source, a warning about an empty cartridge, a warning about charging the power source, an identification warning, a Bluetooth confirmation message, a security warning , display lock warning, display unlock warning, battery temperature warning, etc. P.  In some exemplary embodiments, as shown in FIG.  15, one or more menu items or alarms may be displayed on an interaction between an aerosol delivery device and an application associated with an external device.

In FIG.  16 is a block diagram showing various operations of a method 1600 for controlling the operation of an aerosol delivery device in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.  The aerosol delivery device comprises at least one casing, within which there is a user interface having a button and a display located on at least one casing, and a control component located inside the at least one casing and connected to the user interface.  As shown in block 1602, the method may include controlling, from the control component side, the operation of at least one functional element of the aerosol delivery device upon detecting the passage of an air stream through at least a portion of the at least one casing.  The method may include controlling a display to present a menu containing a plurality of menu items selected using only the specified button, as shown in block 1604.  Each item from a plurality of menu items may be associated with a corresponding functional element of the aerosol delivery device.  In addition, the method may include navigating through the indicated set of menu items and selecting the currently presented item from the set of menu items to control the corresponding functional element in response to corresponding button presses of the first and second types, as shown in block 1606.  The first and second types of clicks have different durations.

Various aspects, embodiments, implementation, or features of the described embodiments may be used singly or in any combination. Various aspects of the described embodiments may be implemented using software, hardware, or a combination of hardware and software. In addition, the described embodiments may be implemented in the form of a computer-readable code located on a computer-readable medium to control the above operations. In particular, a computer-readable code can be configured to perform each of the operations of the methods described in this application and implemented as computer-readable code located on a computer-readable medium to control the above operations. In this regard, the computer-readable storage medium used in this application refers to a non-short-term physical storage medium (e.g., volatile or non-volatile storage device that can be read by a computer system). Examples of computer-readable media include ROM, RAM, CD-ROM, DVD, magnetic tape, and optical storage devices. A computer-readable medium can also be distributed among networked computer systems in such a way that it is stored and executed in a distributed manner.

As indicated above, the aerosol delivery device 100 may be configured to execute machine code to perform the above operations. In this regard, an embodiment of a short-term computer-readable medium for storing machine instructions executed by a processor in an aerosol delivery device is provided. The short-term computer-readable medium may contain program code instructions for controlling the aerosol delivery device and user interface described herein.

The preceding description of the use of the product (s) can be applied to various exemplary embodiments of the invention described in this application, with minor modifications, which may be obvious to specialists in this field of technology in light of the additional description presented in this application. However, the above description of use does not limit the use of the product, but is presented in order to meet all the necessary requirements of the description of the present invention. Any items shown in the article (s) shown in FIG. 1-15 or otherwise described above may be included in an aerosol delivery device in accordance with the present invention.

Many modifications and other embodiments of the present invention set forth in this application may be obvious to specialists in this field of technology after reading the above descriptions and accompanying drawings. Thus, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described in this application, and that modifications and other embodiments are included within the protection scope of the present invention defined by the appended claims. Moreover, although the foregoing descriptions and accompanying drawings describe exemplary embodiments of the invention in the context of specific exemplary combinations of elements and / or functions, it should be noted that various combinations of elements and / or functions may be represented by alternative embodiments of the invention within the scope of the attached claims. In this regard, for example, combinations of elements and / or functions are also provided that differ from those explicitly described above, as may be set forth in some paragraphs of the attached claims. Although specific terms are used in this application, they are used only in a generic and descriptive sense, and not for purposes of limitation.

Claims (44)

1. An aerosol delivery device comprising: at least one casing; a user interface having a button and a display located on at least one casing; and a control component located within at least one casing and connected to a user interface, the control component being configured to control the operation of at least one functional element of the aerosol delivery device when detecting the passage of air flow through at least a portion of at least one casing, moreover, the control component is configured to control the display to present a menu containing a plurality of menu items selected using only the specified button, with each item from the plurality of menu items associated with a corresponding functional element of the aerosol delivery device, and the control component is configured to navigate the specified set of menu items and select the currently presented item from the set of menu items to control the corresponding functional element in response to the corresponding button presses of the first and second types, which have different durations. 2. The aerosol delivery device according to claim 1, wherein the duration of pressing the button according to the second type is substantially longer than the duration of pressing the button according to the first type, and in which the execution of the control component with the ability to select the currently presented menu item includes the execution of the control component with the ability to control the display to present a progress bar for visually displaying the continuation of pressing a button until the second type of button is stopped. 3. The aerosol delivery device according to claim 2, in which the execution of the control component with the ability to control the display to present a progress indicator includes the execution of the control component with the ability to automatically update the progress indicator as the button is pressed and reset to the initial state of the process indicator in at least one case in which the button is released before the second type of pressing is stopped. 4. The aerosol delivery device according to claim 1, wherein in at least one case, the corresponding functional element to which the menu item currently presented is associated is the power supply of the aerosol delivery device, and selecting the menu item currently presented will disable aerosol delivery device power supply. 5. The aerosol delivery device according to claim 1, further comprising: a heating element configured to be controlled by the control component to activate and vaporize the components of the aerosol precursor composition upon detecting an air stream suitable for mixing with the steam thus formed to produce an aerosol, moreover, in at least one case, the corresponding functional element to which the menu item presented at the moment is connected is the heating element, and the control component is configured to implement a change in the power level of the heating element and the ability to control the display to present confirmation of the change when choosing presented in this menu item moment. 6. The aerosol delivery device according to claim 1, wherein in at least one case, the corresponding functional element to which the menu item currently presented is associated is the Bluetooth technology communication interface, and the control component is configured to reset the communication interface by Bluetooth technology in the initial state and the ability to control the display to present confirmation of the reset to the initial state when you select the currently presented menu item. 7. The aerosol delivery device according to claim 1, wherein in at least one case, the corresponding functional element to which the menu item currently presented is associated is a display, and the menu item currently presented is further associated with an audio component, moreover, in at least one case, the control component is configured to darken the display and drown out the audio component and to control the display to provide confirmation of dimming and dimming when selecting the currently presented menu item. 8. The aerosol delivery device according to claim 1, wherein in at least one case the corresponding functional element to which the menu item currently presented is associated is a power source and a cartridge containing the aerosol precursor composition, and in which the execution of the control component with the ability to navigate many menu items includes the execution of the control component with the ability to control the display to represent the current power level of the power source and the current level of the composition of the aerosol precursor in the cartridge. 9. The aerosol delivery device according to claim 1, wherein the control component is further configured to turn off the display after a predetermined period of time without pressing a button of either the first or second type. 10. The aerosol delivery device according to claim 1, in which the control component is configured to detect a signal event associated with the aerosol delivery device, and, in response to a separate triggering event that drives the display, with the ability to control the display to present a corresponding warning signal, and a separate triggering event includes at least one of the following: detecting the passage of an air stream through at least part of at least one casing, pressing button and the first and second types or compound delivery device with a charging of aerosol component. 11. A method for controlling the operation of an aerosol delivery device comprising at least one casing, within which there is a user interface having a button and a display located on at least one casing, and a control component located inside the at least one casing and connected to the user interface, and the method includes performing the following operations in the control component: controlling the operation of at least one functional element of the aerosol delivery device when detecting an air stream passing through at least a portion of at least one casing; controlling a display for presenting a menu containing a plurality of menu items selected using only the indicated button, wherein each item from the plurality of menu items is associated with a corresponding functional element of the aerosol delivery device; and navigating through the indicated set of menu items and selecting the currently presented item from the set of menu items for controlling the corresponding functional element in response to corresponding button presses of the first and second types, which have different durations. 12. The method according to p. 11, in which the duration of pressing the button for the second type is significantly longer than the duration of pressing the button for the first type, and in which the display control for presenting the menu includes controlling the display for presenting a progress bar associated with the currently presented menu item and configured to visually display the continuation of pressing the button until the second type of pressing is stopped, moreover, the selection of the currently presented menu item includes display control for presenting a progress indicator for visually displaying the continuation of pressing the button until the second type of pressing is stopped. 13. The method according to p. 12, in which controlling the display for presenting a progress bar includes automatically updating the progress bar as the button is pressed and reset to the process progress bar in at least one case in which the button is released before termination clicking on it in the second type. 14. The method according to claim 11, in which at least in one case the corresponding functional element with which the menu item currently presented is associated is the power source of the aerosol delivery device, and selecting the menu item currently presented leads to power off of the device aerosol delivery. 15. The method according to claim 11, in which the aerosol delivery device further comprises a heating element configured to be controlled by the control component, and in at least one case, the corresponding functional element to which the menu item currently presented is associated is a heating element element, and the method further includes performing a control component of the following operations: activating a heating element to vaporize the components of the aerosol precursor composition upon detecting an air stream suitable for mixing with the steam thus formed to produce an aerosol; the implementation of the change in the power level of the heating element and display control to present confirmation of changes when selecting the currently displayed menu item. 16. The method according to p. 11, in which at least in one case the corresponding functional element with which the menu item currently presented is associated is a Bluetooth technology communication interface, the method further comprising implementing in the control component: resetting the Bluetooth communication interface to the initial state and controlling the display to present confirmation of the reset when the menu item currently presented is selected. 17. The method according to claim 11, in which at least in one case the corresponding functional element with which the currently presented menu item is associated is a display, and the currently presented menu item is additionally associated with the audio component, moreover, in at least one case, the method further includes the implementation in the control component: dimming the display and dimming the audio component and controlling the display to present confirmation of dimming and dimming when selecting the currently displayed menu item. 18. The method according to claim 11, in which at least in one case the corresponding functional element with which the menu item currently presented is associated is a power source and a cartridge containing the aerosol precursor composition, and wherein navigating a plurality of menu items includes display control for presenting a current power source power level and a current cartridge aerosol precursor composition level. 19. The method according to p. 11, further comprising turning off the display using the control component after a predetermined period of time without pressing a button in either the first or second type. 20. The method according to p. 11, further comprising performing in a control component: detecting a signal event associated with the aerosol delivery device; and, in response to a separate triggering event that drives the display, controlling the display to present a warning signal corresponding to it, and a separate triggering event driving the display includes at least one of the following: detecting the passage of an air stream through at least a portion of at least one casing, pressing a button of the first and second types or connecting an aerosol delivery device to a charging component.

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